Editorial
| DOI | 10.1177/001955612015040v |
| Date | 01 October 2015 |
| Published date | 01 October 2015 |
| Subject Matter | Article |
EDITORIAL
Diversity
of
themes in articles in a general issue
of
a journal make it
difficult to conceptually integrate them into a coherent thematic unity and
explication and explanation sketch in the editorial. This is characteristic
of
the articles and the notes that are compiled here. They touch upon
themes as wide as the civil society, Governor, Finance Commission
of
India, adaptation
of
an ancient Chinese text to what has come to be known
as strategic management/ administration, elected women representatives
in Panchayati Raj Institutions in Bihar, projected public expenditure on
law enforcement agencies in Punjab, a note on civil service training in
India, and a note on the working
of
public-private partnership (PPP) model
in development applied to school education in Rajasthan. As usual, we
conclude with book reviews.
The opening article by L.N. Sharma deals with the concept
of
civil
society and its function in a modern democratic polity. In the wake
of
the
retreat
of
the state in this age
of
globalisation, the concept
of
civil society
has experienced a great revival. We get the first glimpse in the world
of
a
social-contract-origin
of
civil society and a ruler in the selection/election
of
the mahasammat (the Great Elect), and the setting aside
of
]/6th
of
grain
for the newly constituted public authority in the ancient Indian Buddhist text
Digha Nikaya (The Great Discourses). This was a departure from divine
origin
of
kingship in Vedic texts. Then the trajectory
of
the concepts
of
the
civil society and the state run from the ancient Greek agora in the political
theory
of
the polis in Plato and Aristotle to Cicero in the ancient Roman
tradition for whom societas civilas was the highest kind
of
social order.
From then on, the positive strand
of
civil society developed into a line
of
thought that includes John Locke (1632-1704) in 17th century England
with his advocacy
of
a civil society and government set-up in tandem by
twin social contracts and both based on liberal individualism, Jean-Jacques
Rousseau (1712-1778) in 18th century France with his passionate plea for
popular sovereignty, Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) in 18th century USA
with preference for citizen-driven democracy, M.
K.
Gandhi (1869-1948)
in 20th century India with his vision
of
Gram Swaraj and Satyagrah and
Swadeshi, and Benjamin
R.
Barber (1939- ) in 20th-21st century USA with
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